These Unbelievable Ruins In Nebraska Will Transport You To The Past

In the late 19th century, a trade route carried steamboats loaded with goods and supplies on the Missouri River between St. Louis and Montana Territory. On April 1st, 1865, one of those steamboats hit a submerged log about 25 miles north of Omaha. The Bertrand sank within ten minutes and all of the cargo on board – worth approximately $100,000 (around $1.4 million in today’s dollars) – was lost. Thankfully, there were no human casualties. The Bertrand and its treasure trove of artifacts remained submerged in the Missouri River for more than 100 years, but today you can see those amazing relics.

They're on display at the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, located in eastern Nebraska right on the Iowa border.

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Google Maps

One small point of interest before we get on with the story: that very squiggly dashed line on the map above is the actual legal border between Iowa and Nebraska. DeSoto is physically on the Iowa side of the river, but it's kind of an island of Nebraska in our neighbor state.

The Bertrand was rediscovered in 1968 by two private salvagers. Since the wreck was on federal property, they were obligated to turn over all of the artifacts so they could be preserved for everyone to enjoy.

It's unfortunate for those settlers - and for the financiers of the Bertrand - that the payload never reached its destination. But it's a boon to us as it offers a rare window into life before Nebraska was even a state.

The collection was at risk in 2011 when extreme flooding threatened the Visitors Center. With the dedicated work of US Fish & Wildlife Service employees and many volunteers, the entire collection was packaged and relocated to safety within a week's time.

Once the flood waters receded and the threat was gone, the collection was recatalogued and returned to its display. Many items which had never before been catalogued, such as this cannon ball, were finally added to the collection during this time.

This video offers a wonderful overview of the Bertrand collection.

You can find the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Museum at 1434 316th Lane, Missouri Valley IA 51555. (Remember, though, that despite its street address, the refuge is technically in Nebraska.) Learn more about visiting the refuge here.

Have you ever visited the Steamboat Bertrand collection? Tell us about it in the comments!

For another fascinating relic of Nebraska’s past, read our article about the ghost town of Antioch, which was once the potash capital of Nebraska.